Trump Signed a Law to Catch Poached Red Snapper and Tuna With a Chemistry Test. Gulf Fishermen Have Waited Long Enough
The Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, signed Oct. 15, directs NIST and NOAA to build a portable test that can tell where seafood was caught. In our view, it is a cheap, smart tool to protect American fishermen from illegal foreign competition.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 16, 2026 | 6-min read A red snapper on ice does not carry a passport. Once a fish caught illegally in American waters is landed in Mexico, mixed with legal catch and trucked back across the border, there is often no practical way to prove where it came from. That is the gap a new law aims to close. On Thursday, President Trump signed the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, S. 283 [1]. In our view, it is exactly the kind of practical, low-cost law Washington should pass more often. Key Takeaways President Trump signed S. 283, the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, on Oct. 15 [1]. The law directs NIST and NOAA to develop a chemical-analysis method for identifying the country of origin of seafood, using a field kit "easily carried by one individual" [2]. Pilot studies will focus on red snapper and tuna, and a report to Congress is due within 2 years [2]. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the cost at $6 million over 2025 through 2030 [3]. The Coast Guard interdicted 185 Mexican lanchas suspected of illegal fishing in 2022 through